Google is developing technology to let publishers create visual-oriented media content along the lines of Snapchat’s “Discover,” according to people familiar with the situation, upping the ante in a race among tech giants to dominate news dissemination on smartphones.

Alphabet Inc.’s Google has been in discussions with several publishers, including Vox Media, CNN, Mic, the Washington Post and Time Inc., to participate in the project, which is dubbed “Stamp,” the people say. It could be announced as early as next week, one...